Thermodynamic device



1943- M. w. GIESKIENG ET Al. 0

THERMODYNAMIC DEVI CE Filed April 4, 1942 C m II/1{I||||\\\ m 4 .P 6 2@W 2 3 MP A a D W 0 2 AT W 5 C 9 2 E FIG. I.

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I @23 Ilillllllllllll \lLlllllllllll-llll MARION W. GIESKIENG, PAUL F.GIESKIENG,

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INVENTORS.

r/ff) Patented Nov. 23, 1943 UNITED was THERMODYNAMIC DEVICE Marion W.Gieskieng, Denver, andPaul F. Gieskleng, Englewood, Colo.

Application April 4, 1942, Serial No. 437,620

(Cl. SO-35.6)

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in thermodynamic devices and hasreference more particularly to a device for converting thermal energyinto kinetic energy.

It is the object of this invention to produce a mechanism whereby heatmay be employed to produce a force that can be utilized for propellingairplanes, automobiles, or boats, andfor other purposes.

Another object is to produce a device wherein heat energy can beconverted into kinetic energy without the generation of noise in such amanner that a noiseless propulsion motor can be attained.

In many places, especially in connection with airplanes, a silentpropulsion device would be 'of inestimable value for reasons that areapparent.

The above and other objects that may become apparent as this descriptionproceeds are attained by means of a construction and combination ofelements that will now be described in detail-and for this purposereference will be had to the accompanying drawing in which oneembodiment of the invention has been illustrated, and in which:

Figure 1 is a View showing the enclosing housing in a longitudinaldiametrical section and some of the enclosed elements in top plan view;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary section, similar to that shown in Figure 1,and shows a portion of the mechanism shifted to an inoperative position;

Filgure 3 is a section taken on line 33, Figure Figure 4 is an endelevation, looking in the direction of arrow 4, in Figure l;

Figure 5 is a view taken on line 55, Figure Figure 6 is a section,corresponding to section 3-3, and shows another cross sectional shape:

Figure 7 is a diagram showing the temperature andpressures in theirrelations to the device 11- lustrated in Figure 1; and

material such as Pressboard or Celotex may be mentioned as suitable. Inthis specification the end of opening H, at the bottom of Figure 1 andthe corresponding end in Figure 8 will be re-- ferred to as .the intakewhile the upper end will be referred to as the outlet. The intake andthe Ill is preferably outlet openings have been designated respectivelyby I and O.

In Figure 1 the housing has been shown as formed from threesectionsdesignated by letters A, B and C. Section C, at the bottom, may be ofany length or may be dispensed with entirely. Section B has been shownas having two' openings D and E and is mounted to slide transversely soas to bring either opening D or E into alignment with opening H in thehousing. Positioned in opening E is a motor 62, which has beenillustrated as an internal combustion engine of the radial type. Anelectric motor may be substituted for the engine if found desirable. Apropeller i3 is secured to the engine shaft.

Positioned in opening ll, between the point of smallest cross section,and the outlet is a heating device comprising an elongated housing Mwhose inner end is closed and provided with air inlets l5 whose totalcross sectional areas can be varied by means of a damper ii that iscontrolled by a rod. lb or similar means. The heater has a plurality ofhollow radial fins l9, six being shown. The outer ends 26 of the finsare closed and a plate 2! closes the central opening. Plate 2| has acentral opening 22 for the escape of the gaseous products of combustion.A burner 23 for burning either gas or liquid fuel is positioned in theinner end of the heater and supplied with fuel from the tank 25. A sparkplug or pilot burner 25 is positioned adjacent the burner 23 forigniting the flame. When the propeller is operating some air or othergas containing oxygen enters the combustion chamber through openings IS.The heater is secured to the housing an by means such as those indicatedby reference numeral 26. The heater should, of course, be constructedfrom good heat conducting material such as a metal.

The housing ill has been shown as having an opening of circular crosssection which is the most desirable, but the cross section may be ofany.

shape, one other shape being shown in Figure 6, where th housing hasbeen designated by lila and the heater by Me. In Figure 6, the hollowribs 19 have been replaced by fins We.

In Figure 8 the housing lob has been shown substantially cylindrical andits shape may be anything between that shown in Figures 1 and 8 and itmay be flattened as shown in Figure 6.

Let us now assume that the housing I e is supported for movement in thedirection of its axis and that the parts described are in the relativepositions shown in Figure 1. Let us further assume that engine I! isoperating and rotating the propeller in a direction to produce an upwardflow of gas or air. A gaseous or liquid fuel is supplied to burner 23and ignited, thereby heating the fins I9. 1

When the propeller operates, it produces a suction in the intake openingC and reduces the pressure slightly, providing section C is of anyappreciable length, if the pressure is reduced the temperature is alsoreduced slightly,

After the gas has passed to the upper side of the'propeller, itspressure is increased due 129 the frictional resistance ,to flow, thisraises the temperature slightly. The heat from the engine and the engineexhaust also serves to raise the temperature. When the gas comes intocontact with the outersurface of the heater, its temperature is furtherincreased, whereupon its volume is also increased which tends toincrease its velocity of flow.

The approximate changes 'in temperature and pressure have been indicatedby dotted lines in Figure 7.

We now have a condition in which the pressure in section C is either thesame or slightly.

less than atmospheric, the latter being indicated by P, the averagepressure in C being P-Y, where Y equals the average numerical value perunit area that the pressure has been reduced, due to the propellersuction. The pressure from the point. of minimum cross section ofopening -II to the outlet is greater than P- by an amount X which is theaverage of the excess. The outer surface of housing Ill is subjectedtothe pres- .sure of P units per unit area and the inner surthe volume ofthe gas and the latter therefore leaves at the same or slightly greatervelocity than that at which thehousing l0 moves relative tothecircumambient gas or air.

If the housing is cylindrical, as indicated by lOb in Figure 8, theincreased pressure and volume of the gag is converted into increasedvelocity and the propelling force is. due to the impulse thus produced,which is a function of the velocity andvaries as the square of theve1ocity.-

' In both forms the heat added to the gas is converted into a force.that tends to move the housing l0, Illa or lb. The motor and propellerare provided to'obtain an initial movement of gas and after housing IDhas attained a desired velocity relative to the circumambient gaseousmedium, the engine and propeller can be shifted to the position shown inFigure 2.

If a device like the one described is attached having a venturi-shapedopening, a motor positioned within the tube, a propeller operativelyconnected with the motor and positioned between the intake end and themotor, said motor and propeller forming means for flowing gas throughthe tube and for increasing the pressure of the gas between thepropeller and the outlet, and means for heating the gas after it haspassed the point of smallest cross section of the opening,

whereby the volume and the velocity of the gas will be increased,

to an airplane it will act as a, noiseless propelling 2. A device forconverting thermal energy to kinetic energy, comprising in combination,a tube having a venturi-shaped opening, a portion of ,said tube betweenthe point of smallest cross section of the opening and one end beingtransversely movable, the movable section having two openings either ofwhich may be aligned with the opening in the tube, a motor drivenpropeller positioned in one of the openings, said propeller whenpositioned in the opening of the tube and operated, serving to produce aflow of gas through the tube, and means positioned between the propellerand the outlet for heating the gas whereby its volume and velocity willbe increased.

3. A device for converting thermal energy to kinetic energy, comprising,in combination, an elongated tube having a venturi-shaped opening, meansfor producing a flow of air through the tube, and means positionedbetween the point of smallest diameter and the outlet for heating thegas to increase its velocity, said means comprising an elongated housingpositioned within the tube and attached to the latter, the crosssecional area of the housing increasing from the center outwardly at a,less rate than the venturitube, whereby the cross sectional area of thespace between the inner surface of the venturitube and the outer surfaceof the housing will increase in the direction of the outlet, and meanswithin the inner end of the housing for burning a combustible, thelarger end of the housing having at least one opening for the escape ofgases of combustion.

4. A device for converting thermal energy to kinetic energy, comprising,in combination, an elongated tube having a venturi-shaped opening, meansfor producing a flow of air through the tube, and mean positionedbetween the point of smallest diameter and theoutlet for heating the gasto increase its velocity, said means comprising an elongated housingpositioned within the tube and attached to the latter, the crosssectional area of the housing increasing from the center outwardly at aless rate than the venturi-tube, whereby the cross sectional area of thespace between the inner surface of the venturi-tube and the outersurface of the housingwill increase in the direction of the outlet, thewall of the housing being longitudinally fluted toincrease the heattransmitting area, the inner end of the tube having openings for theadmission of air, means for feeding a combustible fluid to the air whereit enters the housing whereby a combustible mixture is produced, andmeans for igniting

